Adam Sandler’s latest film is filled with numerous Easter eggs that only the most observant fans have been able to catch.
If you haven’t seen it yet, “Happy Gilmore 2” debuted on Netflix on Friday, July 25, and it’s already being noted for its abundance of hidden surprises.
Sandler returns to the iconic role of Happy after nearly three decades, this time showing the golf pro using his talents to fund his daughter’s ballet education.
Returning alongside Sandler are his original co-stars from 1996, Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald, reprising their roles as Virginia Venit and Shooter McGavin, respectively.
The film also features an impressive roster of cameos, including famous athletes, professional golfers, and a few Hollywood legends, alongside appearances from Sandler’s own family.
Here are some of the Easter eggs that fans have already discovered.
The movie opens with Happy making an appearance on “Saturday Night Live” during his peak in the golf world.
This scene is a nod to Sandler’s own history, as he was once a “Saturday Night Live” cast member in the early 1990s and later received an Emmy nomination when he returned to host the show in 2019.
The film showcases more than just Adam Sandler, as his wife Jackie and daughters Sunny and Sadie also appear on screen.
Sunny portrays Vienna, Happy’s only daughter, while Jackie is cast as her dance instructor, and Sadie is part of the ‘Alkies for Life’ support group.
In a touching scene towards the movie’s end, Sadie’s character tells Happy, “You remind me of my dad.”
Other family members, such as Sandler’s cousin Jane, his mother Judy, and in-laws Christopher Titone and Lila Titone, also make appearances.
While actor Cameron Boyce did not appear in the original “Happy Gilmore,” he played Sandler’s son in “Grown Ups.” Boyce passed away in 2019 due to epilepsy-related complications, and Sandler pays tribute to him with a subtle clip in the sequel.
In one scene, as Happy is at a check-in desk, the employee is watching a clip from Disney’s “Jessie,” featuring Boyce.
The film also honors other stars from the first movie who have since passed away.
In a humorous graveyard scene, Shooter and Happy are seen bickering over the graves of Bob Barker, Chubbs (played by Carl Weathers), Grandma (played by Frances Bay), and Donald ‘Jacka**’ Floyed (played by Joe Flaherty).
Joe Flaherty’s character famously heckles Happy as a ‘jacka**’ in the first film.
After Flaherty’s death in 2024, “Happy Gilmore 2” brought in rapper Eminem, who donned a beard and hat, to keep the joke alive.
The late Carl Weathers, known for his role as Chubbs Peterson, received a tribute in the sequel despite his character’s death in the original 1996 movie.
Not only does the graveyard scene pay homage, but the film also introduces Chubbs’ son Slim, played by Lavell Crawford, who similarly has only one hand.
While Chubbs famously lost his hand to an alligator, Slim’s accident involved a vending machine.
In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Sandler shared, “When someone’s doing a cameo, they’re coming by, giving their time, and you want them to have a fun time and make it worth their while.”
He continued, “Nobody didn’t bring the full-tilt A-game. We wrote stuff. They came up with stuff. There’s a million athletes in the movie from every sport. Every golfer I love is in it. Of course, Travis [Kelce] is incredibly talented. Bad Bunny never stops being funny.”
Adding, “No matter what, no matter who was in the movie, it was an exciting day. It was just whatever scene we were shooting, we were like, ‘Holy cow, we’re going to be hanging out with John Daly today.’ Holy cow. There’s just so many people that made it exciting.”